The athlete from Villa Clara, Yunisleidys García, failed to advance to the next round of the 100 meters at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
García recorded a time of 11.37 seconds, finishing fifth in heat 2. This result contrasts with her performance in 2023, when she was crowned Pan American champion in the 100 meters at the games held in Santiago, Chile.
Another six figures from Cuban athletics are competing this Friday in Paris. The main attraction for Cuba will be in the triple jump, where one of the gold medal candidates, double world medalist Leyanis Pérez, will make her Olympic debut. She is second on the world list for the season (14.96m) and has won three Diamond League events (Eugene, Stockholm, and Monaco).
Yunisleidys, 24 years old, had returned to the elite of continental sprinting at the XIX Pan American Games, winning the gold medal on the track at the National Stadium in Chile. This triumph ended a 32-year drought since Liliana Allen won the last gold medal in this discipline in 1991.
The sprinter from Villa Clara broke the national record that had stood for over 30 years. She is on track to become the first Cuban to run the 100 meters in under 11 seconds, but that is not enough to contend for a medal in Paris.
The overall performance of the Cuban delegation in Paris 2024 has been disappointing. Several athletes are leaving without medals and without meeting the expectations they brought to these Olympic Games.
The difficulties faced by Cuban sports are evident: lack of resources, limited development, and restricted international reach. These factors have affected the quality and performance of athletes, who in the past brought glory to the sports of the island.
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